A Delhi Police team is camping in Muzaffarnagar in search of an alleged gangster who they suspect is an associate of the woman who had accused BJP MP from Gujarat K C Patel of rape. She was subsequently arrested for extortion on May 2 and is lodged in Tihar jail.

Preetam Pal Singh, SHO, City Kotwali police station, said the alleged gangster, Mitrapal has a police record, and hails from a village close to the woman’s native place in Muzaffarnagar, where a search was carried out last week. The team reached Muzaffarnagar three days ago and raided Mitrapal’s house. S

Special Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) MK Meena said they came to know about his role while probing the extortion racket. “We want to question him. We are also trying to locate another person identified as Ajay Pal Tomar of Noida in the case,” he said. The police believe questioning the two could give them vital leads for the investigation.

The woman was arrested after an FIR was lodged against her based on a complaint filed by Patel, BJP MP from Valsad, who had accused her of trying to extort money from him by making an objectionable video. She had earlier lodged a complaint in a Delhi court accusing the MP of raping her on multiple occasions.